“Victory Gardens” were grown during World War I and World War II as a way of relieving food rationing and shortages. Citizens were encouraged by their governments to grow food in the cities and suburbs. Today, we can grow our own small Victory Gardens as a way to enjoy fresh produce. Children and adults alike can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from food that they have grown themselves. Nothing tastes better!
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There are several different types, or classes, of roses. These classes can be broadly divided into two categories: modern and antique.

Modern classes of roses:

Modern roses are roses whose class was created after 1867. Modern roses include Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, Polyanthas, Modern Shrubs, and Large-Flowered Climbers. These types come in variety of bright colors and are usually found in multi-petaled forms.
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So one of my neighbors has…er make that HAD three beautiful large (30-40 ft tall) trees in her front yard.
She’s a gardener–you know, the type with all the cool plants and roses and absolutely no thought to landscaping (why gardeners’ yards often look the worst is a subject for another post…)
Anyway–back to my RANT:
Apparently, she thought she needed more sun for her eclectic assortment of flowering shrubs, and had ALL HER TREES CHOPPED DOWN!!!!!!
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Cutting gardens fill your home with vases overflowing with flowers. They give you an excuse to be outside, and make you enjoy the inside while you are there. In creating a cut flower garden, pay attention to the garden’s location, suitable plants, and your own preferences. Additionally, by cutting your own flowers from your backyard you ensure that you are not exposing yourself to toxic chemicals and encouraging flower producers to exploit workers.

Half of the flowers sold in the U. S. are from Columbia (Information about organic and fair-trade flowers can be found here.) Workers in the cut flower industry there are exposed to high levels of pesticides, many of which are not legal to use in the U. S. They are not paid a living wage, and are fired when they become too ill to work. By growing your own flowers, you ensure that such labor practices are not rewarded, and you ensure that your family is not exposed to the toxic chemicals used to grow these flowers.

The first step in creating your cutting garden is to pick an appropriate location. Placing a cut flower garden right outside a picture window is a mistake: if you cut the flowers, the view out the window will be ruined! So place your garden where it cannot be seen from the house. The second criterion for a cut flower garden is plenty of sun. Most cut flowers need at least six hours of sunlight, so place your garden with this requirement in mind–beware of the North side of a building or under trees!
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